Patriots make history with 38-35 victory over Giants

Douglas Flynn

Sunday

Dec 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMDec 30, 2007 at 6:44 AM

For weeks, the Patriots have insisted that the only record they cared about was the one that kept a zero in the loss column. It was just poetic justice that the score that secured the final 38-35 win to cap a 16-0 regular season just happened to also set individual marks at both ends of a dramatic fourth-quarter scoring strike.

For weeks, the Patriots have insisted that the only record they cared about was the one that kept a zero in the loss column.

It was just poetic justice that the score that secured the final 38-35 win to cap a 16-0 regular season just happened to also set individual marks at both ends of a dramatic fourth-quarter scoring strike.

New England needed every bit of Tom Brady and Randy Moss' record seasons, as the duo hooked up on a 65-yard touchdown with 11:06 left to complete their comeback from a season-high 12-point deficit.

The toss was Brady's 50th of the year, breaking Peyton Manning's mark of 49 set in 2004. While Moss hauled in his 23rd of the year, topping the standard of 22 set by Jerry Rice back in 1987.

The Giants ended any questions about keeping the stars in the game long enough to set those marks, as they gave the Pats all they could handle, and the 79,110 on hand a game for the ages to remember.

Fittingly, a perfect season so elusive for so many great teams would be anything but easy for the Pats to complete.

The Patriots and Giants may have had their playoff positions set prior to last night's clash in the Meadowlands, but both clubs played like they had their season on the line, as the Giants made it clear from the opening possession that they weren't going to sit idly by as spectators to New England's historic ambitions.

The Giants showed quickly they weren't going to be intimidated by the Pats. On the second play from scrimmage, Eli Manning executed a perfect play-action fake and hit Plaxico Burress for a 52-yard pickup down to the New England 18.

Five plays later, Manning hit running back Brandon Jacobs with a slant over the middle, and Jacobs shrugged off attempted hits by Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison to score from 7 yards out, handing New York a quick 7-0 lead before the Patriots even touched the ball.

New York also quickly answered any questions about resting their starters. Burress and Jacobs both came into the game gimpy with ankle injuries, but had their numbers called in nine of the 11 offensive plays the Giants ran in the first quarter.

The wisdom of playing everyone did come into question for both sides in the opening stanza, as New York lost starting linebacker Kawika Mitchell to a knee injury, while New England got a scare when Moss went down after being hit by Gibril Wilson.

But Moss missed just one play, returning for the first snap of the second quarter, when he outmuscled Aaron Ross for a 4-yard TD catch to give the Pats a very brief lead. It was a notable reception, as Moss tied Rice's single-season record with his 22nd TD catch of the year, while Brady also tied Peyton Manning's mark with is 49th scoring strike of the season.

The score also pushed the Pats' season total for points to 561, topping the 1998 Minnesota Vikings' NFL record of 556 points.

Maybe all those milestones made Moss a little giddy, as he was flagged for excessive celebration for his post-TD dance and spike. That penalty led to a short field for the Giants on the ensuing kickoff, and Domenik Hixon took advantage with a 74-yard kickoff return for a score to give the Giants the lead right back.

The Patriots settled into a rhythm offensively as the half wore on, but the Giants proved resilient in the red zone, forcing New England to settle for a pair of field goals by Stephan Gostkowski, who booted three in all in the first half.

The Giants didn't muster any further offense until Manning marched the club 85 yards in the final two minutes, hitting tight end Kevin Boss in the middle of the end zone from 3 yards out with 13 seconds left in the half.

That gave New York a 21-16 edge at the break. This time New England was staring at numbers that weren't so friendly, as the 21 points matched the most points the Pats had allowed in a half all season. It was also just the second time all year New England trailed at the half, the first coming back in Week 9 when they trailed Indianapolis 13-7 before rallying in the fourth quarter for a 24-20 win.

Boss was a force for New York throughout the first half. Starting in place of injured star Jeremy Shockey, Boss hauled in four catches for 50 yards in the half, including the go-ahead score.

The Giants may need even more players to step in for fallen starters though. In addition to Mitchell, New York also lost safety Craig Dahl and center Shaun O'Hara to knee injuries in the first half and cornerback Sam Madison in the second.

There were no easy adjustments in the second half either, as the Pats opened by going three-and-out, then watched Eli continue his impression of his brother Peyton as he hit Burress on a 19-yard strike for a 28-16 lead - the biggest deficit New England had faced all season.

That lead was shaved quickly with an eight-play, 73-yard march capped by a Laurence Maroney 6-yard run, but it was clear that if the Pats were to make history, they'd have to do it with a historic effort in the final quarter.

Douglas Flynn covers the Patriots for the Daily News. He can be reached at 508-626-4405 or dflynn@cnc.com.

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